Frustration with providing supplies

[NC29mom, ASN, LPN, RN]

Ever since our hospice company got bought out by a huge corporation, things have really gone downhill. I find myself, on a daily basis, frustrated with the type/quantity of supplies we are able to provide our pts with. We used to keep our office stock room stocked with necessities, and would take (within reason) supplies weekly to our pts. Now, the supplies are ordered by our AA and shipped to the pts house. We can only order weekly, so if the pt suddenly needs a catheter or wound supplies, they have to wait. And, you have to order supplies on the same day each week. So, if pt A's supplies were ordered monday, and our AA is off the following Mon, the date gets moved to tues. It doesnt take too many moved days till the pt basically looses a week.

We are so very limited as to our wound supplies that is truly embarrassing. Guaze, tape, kerlix, non adherant, hydrocolloid, and ABD pads is it. We have several pts with facial or fungating wounds where guaze is simply not appropriate. Im beyond frustration in trying to.provide basic palliative care for these pts.Im already buying wound supplies for several pts bc its what they NEED.

Is your hospice wound formulary also very basic? Are you encouraged to use guaze on EVERYTHING? there's only so many medications to supplement our formulary (silvidene or lanteseptic only 2 we pay for).

Just wondering if others were faced with the same issues.....I feel like if our cmpy isnt willing to use an appropriate dressing on these pts, maybe we shouldn't be admitting them. And, Im not talking about crazy supplies. ...i just want foam, calcium alginate (for hemostatic properties as well as exudate mngmt) and maybe medihoney.....

[HillieRN]

We are not having that problem , but we are part of a hospital. We also have a foundation that assists. I'm not saying this couldn't change however ...

I wonder what Medicare would think?

That would be annoying about the supplies. It is sometimes difficult to be that organized in a dynamic setting like Hospice. Who can you talk to about that ? It's a nice idea and cost saving, but again hard on the nurses trying to provide reasonable care.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

We do very limited wound care although we have never made anyone wait for mail order. I knew one place that did and gee, they got no referrals.